WE all get hiccups from time to time and sometimes it can come at the most inconvenient times.
Want to get rid of it in a hurry? Simple, below are seven very easy strategies from website readersdigest.ca that would help you.
* Cover your mouth
Cup your hands over your nose and mouth, but continue breathing normally. The extra dose of carbon dioxide should help you get rid of hiccups.
* Use your hands to stop hiccups
Press the palm of your hand with the thumb of your other hand-the harder, the better. Alternatively, you can squeeze the ball of your left thumb between the thumb and forefinger of the right. The discomfort is a distraction that affects your nervous system and may cure hiccups. (And you can do it under the table without anyone staring at you.)
* Hold your breath
Take a deep breath and hold it. When there’s a buildup of carbon dioxide in your lungs, your diaphragm relaxes, which should help get rid of hiccups.
* Stick out your tongue
When no one’s watching, stick out your tongue. This exercise is done by singers and actors because it stimulates the opening between the vocal cords (the glottis). You breathe more smoothly, quelling the spasms that cause hiccups.
* Plug your ears
Excuse yourself for a few minutes, then stick your fingers in your ears for 20 to 30 seconds or press the soft areas behind your earlobes, just below the base of the skull. This sends a “relax” signal through the vagus nerve, which connects to the diaphragm.
* Drink some water to get rid of hiccups
Take nine or ten quick sips in a row from a glass of water. When you’re gulping a drink, rhythmic contractions of the esophagus override spasms of the diaphragm.
* Combine strategies five and six
If you can block your ears while you drink the water, all the better. Stick your fingers in your ears and sip though a straw. You’re pressing on the vagus nerve while also getting the benefits of steady swallowing.
